The Haven continuing legacy in Stonehaven with new community fridge

The charity has partnered with Co-op and Inspire to provide fresh food to those in need.

By Ellie Milne

October 26 2023, 10:21 am

Patsy Telford, Daniel Veltman, Starkeeper Morton, and Natalie Jurdeczka have all helped make the community fridge a reality. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson.

The Haven has launched a community fridge to keep supporting Stonehaven residents in need following the closure of its food larder.

Hundreds of people used the community facility each month before it was forced to close due to rising costs at the end of June.

Charity founder Starkeeper Morton was determined to keep supporting the most vulnerable in the area and to continue the legacy of the Haven.

Now, staff and volunteers have partnered with the Co-op and Inspire to start a community fridge – using equipment they had from the larder based at Stonehaven Community Centre.

She said: “We wanted to find a way to support our wellbeing vision for the community without that financial burden.”

Community fridge Stonehaven — The fridge is filled with fresh produce each day. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson.

New community fridge in Stonehaven

Unlike many of the foodbank provisions in the area, the community fridge is open to everyone six days a week.

There is a wide choice of fresh foods and no referral is needed.

Starkeeper said: “Our fridge is open to everyone in the community when the shop is open between 9.30am and 4pm, while our local foodbank provisions are only available an hour a week.

“We’re offering fresh produce for the most part that would have been thrown away, and is a luxury for people who are in food poverty.

“There are no barriers and you get to choose what you want.”

Starkeeper Morton, from The Haven, Natalie Jurdeczka, wellbeing volunteer coordinator for The Haven, Patsy Telford, service manager for Inspire Stonehaven, and Daniel Veltman, Co-op's member pioneer — Starkeeper Morton, from The Haven, Natalie Jurdeczka, wellbeing volunteer coordinator for The Haven, Patsy Telford, service manager for Inspire Stonehaven, and Daniel Veltman, Co-op’s member pioneer. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson.

Beneficial partnership

The Haven has worked with the Co-op in Stonehaven for a long time now and is the shop’s community cause for the year.

They are providing much of the fresh food for the community asset which is collected by Haven volunteers and staff and brought to the fridge at the Inspire charity shop on Allardice Street.

This project marks the first time all three organisations have worked together in what Starkeeper describes as a “mutually beneficial” partnership.

“All our visions and values are aligned,” she added. “That’s been a real joy.

Exterior of Inspire shop in Stonehaven — The fridge is located in the Inspire charity shop on Allardice Street. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson.

“I’m delighted we can keep our work with the Co-op going and I’m really grateful to Inspire, particularly Patsy, for allowing us to put a fridge in their shop.

“It is run by their beneficiaries who are adults with additional needs and seeing how much they have also benefited from the fridge has been another surprising bonus.

“They’ve all been really brave by trying something new with us.”

Engaging with youths in the community

The Haven team has already found the perfect location for its second community fridge in the nurture room at Mackie Academy.

Mackie Academy sign in Stonehaven — A second fridge will soon open in the nurture room at Mackie Academy. Image: Chris Sumner/DC Thomson.

“The fridge at Inspire is just the beginning of this story,” Starkeeper said. “Now, we’re really excited about engaging with the youth in the community and coming up with sustainability solutions.

“We’ve got the fridge in the room but we want to listen to what the school want. What it will look like is something we’re not sure about yet, but, I’m excited to see how it unfolds.”